How to make android phone switch car audio to bluetooth for media?

[AC Question]

The problem: The media audio signal from my android phone won’t switch the source on my Honda Odyssey van to Bluetooth, so I won’t hear anything from App like Google Map.

The following information and test may be useful for the diagnosis. Please bear with me for the long post, but I want to give more information so the experts can help me figure out the issue.

My old Windows Phone (Lumina 640) worked perfectly on the same car. While I was on the car radio, if there was incoming phone call or voice command from GPS (Here Drive), the car audio would switch to Bluetooth automatically, and switch back to radio afterwards. I suppose it works in this nice way because the audio source “Priority” in the car is set to “Bluetooth” all the time.

With my new android phone (Moto Z Play Droid, Andoid version 6.0.1) the phone call works well: The radio stops if there is incoming call, and I can answer the phone without any issue. But the voice from Google Map won’t switch the car audio to Bluetooth, so I won’t hear anything from it. If I turn off Bluetooth connection, the voice will come from the phone speaker as expected. I also tried another GPS app, Here WeGo, and it gives the same problem as Google Map.

If I switch the car audio system to “Bluetooth” manually, Google Map and Here WeGo work fine, but I won’t be able to listen to the radio or CD.

The same problem is for the audio from phone movie: it works only when car audio is switched to Bluetooth.

Here is another piece of information. When the android phone is paired with my car audio system, there are two icons for the car Bluetooth, one for phone and another for media. My old Windows phone would show something like "Cortana" with a 555- phone number when Here Map voice came to car audio. Does this mean the Windows actually use phone channel for media content? If this is the way to work around for my android phone issue, is there a way to let the android phone take this approach?

I tried to turn on/off HD voice in the phone setting, but it did not make any difference. I also tried once to re-pair the Bluetooth connection, but it did not help.

By the way, the phone contacts and history can load into the car without any problem.

Another minor issue may or may not be related to this. The car screen would show an icon if there was a new text message on my Windows phone. With the new android phone, that icon is there once Bluetooth is connected even if there is no new text message.

I appreciate any suggestion to work around with the issue.

 

[Adam Maskew]

did you find a fix for this? My S8 is having the same issue with HereWeGo and a 2005 Toyota Prado.

 

[hallux]

When you connect the phone to the car, does the BT connection for the car (on the phone) have a "Media audio" item and is it selected? See this screenshot.

 

[Xiangrui Li]

Just found my post at verizon was transferred to here. To answer the Q&A team question: I have both "Phone audio" and "Media audio" items selected on the phone Bluetooth, as shown by the picture.

 

[Xiangrui Li]

This question has been here for years, and it seems there is no plan to solve the issue.

It is about time for me to replace my phone, and I did a couple of more test for this issue. Here is the what I gathered.
1. Over the years, multiple Android update never fixed the problem.
2. I tested on a newer Moto model: Moto G7. The problem is the same.
3. I tested on a ZTE Android phone (older version), and the problem is the same.

These suggest the problem is due to my Moto phone, but likely due to the Android system.

I did not want to switch to iphone, but this issue might push me to isystem.

 

[anon(10614692)]

It's generally a problem with Bluetooth compatibility. Recent phones and cars work fine ,older cars and newer phones and vice versa don't.

 

[Xiangrui Li]

Thank you for answering, Galactic. It sounds like Bluetooth compatibility issue.

While phone call and message can switch the car audio input, why don't the App like Google Map use the phone channel so to avoid the issue? As mentioned in my original message, my old cheap Windows phone seems doing so.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Thank you for answering, Galactic. It sounds like Bluetooth compatibility issue.

While phone call and message can switch the car audio input, why don't the App like Google Map use the phone channel so to avoid the issue? As mentioned in my original message, my old cheap Windows phone seems doing so.

What head unit do you have in your car? Have you checked with the dealership to see if there is updated firmware for the car's head unit?